Working from the fringes of Greensboro politics and development to build a brighter future for Greensboro into the 21st Century and beyond.

Saturday, November 8, 2014

DGI, Action Greensboro, The City: Who Keeps The Money?

Folks at Action Greensboro are understandably upset that the recent decision by Downtown Greensboro Inc. and the City of Greensboro for City crews to again take over duties downtown that in recent years were handled by Action Greensboro, will result in funding cuts to Action Greensboro and layoffs.

Now honestly, I'm no fan of Action Greensboro. Had it not been for their corrupt management's years of stealing from Greensboro taxpayers this would have never taken place and the workers who do the actual lifting, cleaning, picking up and carrying away of the trash? No one is letting them handle the money so it damned sure wasn't their fault. They're stuck in the middle, screwed and getting layoff slips.

And knowing I spent years exposing the corrupt bosses at Action Greensboro, DGI and the City only to see the innocent workers get laid off while the bosses go own about their lives doesn't make me feel at all good about this so-called victory.

But something much bigger than my own personal feelings are at play here.

It seems that the folks at Downtown Greensboro Inc are wanting to keep the money they are now saving by not paying Action Greensboro to clean up 99 blocks downtown.

Problem is: Downtown Greensboro Inc gets that money from the City of Greensboro who has now assumed the responsibility of cleaning up downtown. Well, DGI gets part of that money from the City and the rest comes from a special tax DGI is allowed to collect from downtown merchants and business owners.

But the idea of dumping Action Greensboro and having the City take over was so that the City could save money. If we dump Action Greensboro, the City takes over and DGI keeps the money then the City of Greensboro hasn't save a dime, 6 workers have lost their jobs and DGI has more money than before.

DGI should be returning the City funding plus paying the difference from the tax they collect. That is the only thing that is fair to the citizens of Greensboro who have long subsidized downtown Greensboro in the name of economic development for an entire city which never came.

Six loyal workers laid off, forced to draw unemployment in the North Carolina city with the highest unemployment in the entire state, over 21% poverty, rising homelessness and rising forclosures and someone is planning on running off with the money? Not on my watch.

Now Folks, if you don't want me to start naming names this problem will be fixed this week Do you understand me?